Word: abhor (verb)

Associations

"Abhor" means to hate something very much, often because it feels morally wrong or disgusting.

• I abhor cruelty to animals. (Here, it means a strong feeling of hate towards cruelty.)
• Many people abhor lying because it breaks trust. (It shows dislike for dishonesty.)
• She abhors smoking due to health reasons. (Strong dislike or disgust for smoking.)

A synonym is "hate," but "abhor" is stronger and often used for things that feel morally wrong or very unpleasant. "Hate" can be used more generally for anything disliked.

Substitution

Instead of "abhor," you can say:

• hate (less strong, more general)
• detest (similar strength, also formal)
• loathe (very strong, similar to abhor)

For example, "I detest cruelty" means almost the same as "I abhor cruelty," but "abhor" sounds a bit more formal and serious.

Deconstruction

"Abhor" comes from Latin "abhorrere," where "ab-" means "away" and "horrere" means "to shudder or tremble." So it originally meant to "shrink back in horror" or "shudder away from" something.

Inquiry

• What is something you abhor in your daily life? Why?
• How is "abhor" different from just "dislike" or "hate" in your opinion?
• Can you think of a situation where using "abhor" sounds better than "hate"? Why?